On pensions day earlier this week an 86 year old man dependent on a walking stick withdrew several hundred dollars from an ATM in a busy shopping centre. It seems that this was observed by a nearby man and a woman and he was followed. The woman approached and offered to drive him home and when this was refused the pair cornered him in an underground car park, bashed him and stole his money.
This crime highlights the fact that we still have many elderly people who continue a lifelong habit of withdrawing their money on pension day and settling their bills in cash. Before pensions were paid directly into bank accounts, the fortnightly cheques arrived in the mail and the vast majority of pensioners lacked a bank account. They usually cashed their welfare cheque at the local corner shop - and settled any items they had placed on the slate. Household bills were invariably paid at the office of the relevant company - in cash !
Cash payment of bills is now a rarity in this twenty-first century - and it is concentrated in an advanced age group. This makes them highly vulnerable, as this recent bashing incident has made clear. The means are available to rectify this situation, but the main problem is that of educating the older minds to change a lifelong pattern - and accept a bewildering new concept.
Visit a shopping centre with a bank branch on pension day and the extent of the problem is obvious. Pension days are the busiest days of the month with literally no available parking space for cars and milling crowds waiting for the bank to open - and forming a cheque to get to the tellers. It is a bandits picnic for the low life's who prey on easy victims.
Women are particularly vulnerable. Fewer young women carry a handbag these days, but it is an essential to the elderly and usually pension day is an opportunity to also do a little shopping. Pushing a trolley in a supermarket means that the handbag is in with the groceries - and it usually contains the withdrawn pension. Bandits often work in pairs, with one causing a distraction while the other strikes.
It would be helpful if all sections of society combined to try and break this dangerous habit of withdrawing cash to pay bills. We are already seeing a withdrawal of the previous method of monthly billing, replaced by the need for payment directly from the customer's bank account for many services. That is the required format for paying for mobile phones, Foxtel pay TV, Internet access, and many other services - unfortunately mostly unused by the elderly.
It seems strange that Telstra requires direct debit for those having a Smartphone, but still bills landline phones on a monthly "bill through the mail "basis - and that is the most likely phone to be connected to a pensioner's home. This same situation applies to electricity, gas, insurance and all the other utility bills.
Habit is hard to break. Just count the number of people who queue to get their money face to face with a bank teller - and avoid using an ATM because of the need to remember a PIN or a general distrust of all forms of electronics. The news story of the robbery of that 86 year old man will probably cause some to join the teller queque - and avoid ATM's in future.
Any move to force direct debit on the elderly will be resented. Such was the case when the payment of pensions by mailing a cheque ceased and recipients were required to open bank accounts, but the present system has obvious failings - and the safety factor is certainly worth a small amount of initial inconvenience.
The sooner the better !
No comments:
Post a Comment